With a title like Assassin Club, we understand what to expect. Indeed, the 2023 film follows the anticipated path of violent action shenanigans.

Morgan Gaines (Henry Golding) works as an elite assassin. However, he decides to retire and agrees to one final contract.

This sends him around the globe to kill multiple different targets. However, the hunter becomes the hunted when Morgan learns he needs to take down fellow assassins, all of whom intend to slay him first.

That sounds like a decent twist on the usual formula. Does Club find anything else to stand out from this cliché genre?

Alas, no. While it presents a frenetic pace, Club comes short on inspiration or excitement.

Five years ago, Henry Golding starred in Crazy Rich Asians, a surprise hit. This launched him into leading parts in a mix of prominent projects, but none of those did well enough to make Golding a legitimate star.

Golding played the title role in 2021’s Snake Eyes, an attempt to reboot the GI Joe franchise. It became a major flop, and it feels like Club represents a form of penance Golding must pay.

Not that one can pin the issues of Snake Eyes entirely on Golding, as it came with flaws beyond his control. Nonetheless, he failed to bring the right vibe to the part and definitely added to the problems.

Golding seems like a better fit for Club, though just barely. The movie comes with such ill-defined roles that although Golding seems bland, he doesn’t really disappoint, as he “acts down” to the underwritten part.

A movie like Club can work fine with a generic hero as long as it comes with a lively “rogues gallery”. Unfortunately, the film disappoints in that domain as well.

Oh, Club tries to provide a variety of exotic baddies, but none of them leave an impression. The movie skitters from one violent scene to another without any inventiveness or creativity.

If all this sounds like a cut-rate John Wick movie, then you interpret correctly. Club clearly takes major inspiration from the popular Keanu Reeves franchise.

I don’t much like the Wick flicks, but they look brilliant compared to this tedious affair. Packed with “urgent” music and jittery camerawork, Assassin Club attempts to thrill us, but yawns ensue instead.

Assassin Club appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not exceptional, this became a mostly strong image.

In general, sharpness appeared positive. A few interiors came across as a little soft, but most of the movie displayed appealing accuracy and delineation.

I noticed no signs of shimmering or jaggies, and the movie lacked any print flaws. Edge haloes failed to mar the presentation.

Teal and orange dominated Club, and they did so to a goofy extreme that played like “color timing parody”. Some reds, golds, blues and greens came along for the ride at times as well. Nonetheless, the Blu-ray reproduced the hues in an appropriate manner.

Blacks were always deep and tight, and I saw good contrast as well. Shadows seemed clear and appropriately opaque. The Blu-ray became a largely appealing reproduction of the film.

I felt pleased with the movie’s impressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack as well. A movie packed with mayhem and action, the mix used all five channels in a lively, involving manner.

Weapon fire, fights and similar elements popped up from all around the room and delivered a smooth, engrossing soundscape. The back speakers delivered a good level of information and created a positive sense of place in that domain.

Audio quality was also strong. Music seemed full and bold, while speech was consistently natural and crisp.

Effects became the most prominent component, of course, and packed a solid punch, with positive clarity and range. This turned into a fine soundtrack.

No extras of any sort appear here.

Despite a reasonably intriguing premise, Assassin Club winds up as just another generic thriller. Virtually devoid of compelling characters or excitement, the movie feels paint by numbers. The Blu-ray comes with very good picture and audio but it lacks bonus materials. Expect a totally forgettable action flick from this